NationsBenefits has announced a new retail network integration with Harps Food Stores, an employee-owned supermarket chain serving communities across Arkansas, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Oklahoma and Tennessee.
Through the integration, eligible health plan members can use their NationsBenefits Mastercard Prepaid Flex Card at more than 160 Harps locations to purchase approved food-as-medicine items, OTC health and wellness products, and other essential goods.
Technology enables real-time benefit validation
Retail acceptance is enabled through NationsBenefits’ Basket Analyzer Service (BAS), which provides real-time, item-level benefit validation at checkout. The company said this technology eliminates manual claims and reimbursement delays, providing a frictionless shopping experience for members at their local hometown grocer.
“We are committed to bridging the gap between healthcare and retail by making healthy choices the easiest choices for members,” said Michael Parker, co-CEO at NationsBenefits.
“By partnering with Harps, we are expanding our healthcare fintech footprint into the heart of the Mid-South, ensuring that members in both rural and urban areas can use their benefits instantly for the nutrition and wellness products they need to thrive.”
Addressing food insecurity in rural communities
Harps serves a diverse footprint across the Mid-South and Ozark regions, where rural access to nutritious food remains a critical challenge. According to recent data from the Arkansas Health Survey cited in the announcement, 28.8 percent of adult Arkansans in rural and urban areas face food insecurity, a rate significantly higher than the national average. When people lack consistent access to healthy food, they are more likely to struggle with chronic conditions such as diabetes and heart disease, which are prevalent in underserved census tracts within Harps’ service area.
“Harps has always been dedicated to being more than just a grocery store; we are a neighbor to the communities we serve,” said Mark Pierce, director of store systems from Harps.
“Integrating the NationsBenefits platform allows us to better support our customers’ health journeys. We are proud to offer this technology that makes it easier for Medicare Advantage and Medicaid members to access essential groceries and health items in their hometowns.”
For independent grocers
The NationsBenefits-Harps partnership highlights a growing trend of regional grocers integrating with healthcare fintech platforms to serve Medicare Advantage and Medicaid members. Independent grocers in rural areas, where food insecurity rates are often higher than national averages, may find similar partnerships offer a way to drive incremental sales and deepen community ties. By accepting flexible benefit cards for OTC and food-as-medicine items, independents can position themselves as essential healthcare access points in underserved markets, potentially capturing dollars that might otherwise go to mass merchants or mail-order pharmacy providers.
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